Mixed-use building proposed on Sasco Hill Road

Updated 2:20 pm, Thursday, December 12, 2013

An architect's rendering of a mixed-use building proposed at 54 Sasco Hill Road, which is under review by the Town Plan and Zoning Commission.

An architect's rendering of a mixed-use building proposed at 54 Sasco Hill Road, which is under review by the Town Plan and Zoning Commission.

Photo: Genevieve Reilly

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Raymond Rizzio, the lawyer representing an applicant proposing to build a mixed-use structure at 54 Sasco Hill Road, discusses the proposal at Tuesday's Town Plan and Zoning Commission meeting.

Raymond Rizzio, the lawyer representing an applicant proposing to build a mixed-use structure at 54 Sasco Hill Road, discusses the proposal at Tuesday's Town Plan and Zoning Commission meeting.

Photo: Genevieve Reilly

Mixed-use building proposed on Sasco Hill Road

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A small office building at 54 Sasco Hill Road would be replaced by a mixed-use office and apartment building if a new application wins Town Plan and Zoning Commission approval.

The TPZ began a public hearing on the application filed by Love Where You Live, LLC, on Tuesday night, but the hearing was continued to January.

Raymond Rizzio, the lawyer representing the applicant, said the 2,700-square-foot building, while on largely residential Sasco Hill Road, is in a designed commercial district. "We want to add to the property," he said, and build a mixed-use project.

The new building would be elevated, provide additional parking and comply with Federal Emergency Management Agency standards. The first floor would be office space and the second floor would be an apartment. Both spaces, Rizzio said, are expected to be occupied by the building's owner, Love Where You Live, a local construction company. He said, however, it would be used for office purposes and the property would not house construction equipment.

On one side of the property is a large office building that fronts on the Post Road, and on the other is a private home that uses the driveway at 54 Sasco Hill Road through an easement.

It is expected that the new building would add two more cars to the traffic on Sasco Hill Road during peak hours, according to the applicant.

Landscaper William Kenny said the project calls for marsh area behind the building to be restored, with invasive species and a lawn area removed.

Rizzio said the building would be white-washed brick, clapboard siding and large expanses of glass, taking advantage of the water views of the Mill River. He said while the proposed building would be two and a half stories -- there is a small loft area on the third level and an enclosure for mechanicals -- it would not appear taller than nearby structures because of the lot's low elevation. The first floor would have 3,250 square feet of office space, while the second floor apartment would have 2,819 square feet. The loft area would be comprised of 327 square feet.

The property in question, Rizzio said, sits lower than Sasco Hill Road. "From the street, there's a 7-foot shift in grade," he said.

A mixed-used building, he added, would provide a transition from the abutting commercial district on the Post Road to the residential district on Sasco Hill Road.